Wireless communications systems are well known in which persons may initiate or receive a call using a wireless communication device (e.g., mobile phone). Most typically, the call is a voice communication, but other forms of wireless service (e.g., paging, short message service, e-mails, data etc.) are also known. The communication device wirelessly communicates, using radio frequency (RF) communication resources, with one or more base stations that are geographically distributed at various sites. The base stations are connected to a call processing control entity, commonly known as Mobile Switching Center (MSC), which coordinates calls and allocates communication resources for different communication devices as they roam from site to site or even to different communication networks. Typically, the MSC further creates billing records associated with wireless calls and forwards the billing records to a separate billing center (“mobile billing center”) that produces billing statements for the mobile customers. The billing statements include records of call(s) made from mobile subscribers. Typically, these records include, for each individual call, the calling and called party phone number, the duration of the call in minutes and the time of day the call was made.
Satellite radio is another well-known service that is available today from various service providers. Satellite radio service is commercially available, for example, from Sirius™ and XM™ satellite radio service providers. As presently known, satellite radio service has its own infrastructure that is completely separate from the wireless telephony infrastructure. The satellite radio infrastructure includes, for example and without limitation, antennas, network devices (including content servers, routers and the like) and subscriber database(s). Further, the satellite radio infrastructure has its own independent billing system to maintain billing information and produce billing statements for satellite radio subscribers. Typically, satellite radio subscribers are billed a set price per month depending on the stations or packages of stations to which they subscribe.
Presently, because existing wireless telephony services and satellite radio services are entirely separate entities, customers desiring both services are required to have separate equipment and separate service agreements and are billed separately for the respective services. It would be desirable to integrate the services at least in part, such that wireless telephony subscribers may access satellite radio service via their mobile phone (i.e., without the need for a separate satellite radio receiver). It is contemplated that integrated wireless telephony and satellite radio services would benefit both wireless telephony service providers and satellite radio service providers in terms of increased customer satisfaction and increased revenue. Advantageously, integrated wireless telephony and satellite radio services might be accommodated via a single service agreement and a single billing statement with either the wireless telephony service provider or the satellite radio service provider; or alternatively, the respective service providers may still use separate service agreements and/or send separate billing statements.